Forty-two percent of Americans now say same sex couples should be allowed to legally marry, a new CBS News/New York Times poll finds. That's up nine points from last month, when 33 percent supported legalizing same sex marriage.

Support for same sex marriage is now at its highest point since CBS News starting asking about it in 2004.

Twenty-eight percent say same sex couples should have no legal recognition - down from 35 percent in March - while 25 percent support civil unions, but not marriage, for gay couples.

I'd give Iowa and Vermont more credit for the bump than I'd give Perez Hilton.

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I think you are right, Alex. People tend to embrace change reluctantly because it brings the risk of the unknown. As same-sex marriage increasingly becomes part of the status quo less people will perceive it as risky. So public support will increase.

Failure junkies are those who support the Democrat and Republican parties with their long record of bigotry, betrayal and periodically driving the bus over us.

Civil unions are a form of second class citizenship endorsed by bigots like Obama and the Clintons. That's why activists in Vermont, Connecticut, California and New Jersey who had or have civil unions/partnerships continue to push for real rights and oppose civil unions.

From May until November the organization of bigots (primarily fundamentalist christians) by Obama's Minister of Pandering Joshua Dubois and Obama's infamous statement "gawd's in the mix" galvanized the bigot vote and defeated SSM.

The effort to build a mass, democratically organized SSM in California and nationwide will mobilize our communities, eventually compel recognition of SSM and further isolate bigots like the Clintons, Obama and McCain.

I disagree, Wilber. Vermont has already ditched civil unions in favor of marriage and New Jersey is preparing to do so. Both states have found that separate is NOT equal. When both states to try civil unions have found them inadequate, why should we be advocating for something we already know doesn't work?

I differ with Wilberforce on this one. I think asking for what you want (marriage) and saying it loudly has done more for the recent uptick in support than the gradual approach. To be sure, the gradual has contributed, but if marriage advocates were going about this in a fully linear fashion (i.e., get domestic partnership laws in most states, then go back and turn those laws civil, etc., all the way up to marriage) the "average" American would smell the politicking and still see this as a "special interest group" issue.

The recent legislative hearings in Vermont and Maine, in particular, have been stunning. Unlike the litigation approach (which I support and acknowledge for REALLY laying some groundwork), the legislative approach invites LOTS of public input -- thus you have hundreds of LGBT people, their family members and friends standing up and speaking on the record, telling their personal stories, en masse, for marriage -- the word, we remind ourselves time and again, the vast majority of Americans resonate with and understand.

It's hard to deny the power of hundreds -- thousands -- of people telling their personal stories from the heart -- televised, reported, and on the record. I'm no pollster, but I bet you donuts to dollars that the past 6 months of spirited Prop 8 activism and personal storytelling contributed most directly to that 9 point jump.